Alex Carson
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of Facts Verse. Today we will be exploring 11 incredible unknown facts about “The Love Boat.” This iconic television series aired for a decade, with millions of loyal fans.
The Love Boat is a comedy-drama set and filmed on location aboard Pacific Princess and Island Princess cruise ships. The show was filmed at sea with real passengers. The series served an important role during the ‘70s and ‘80s. The show became part of the culture during that time period. Fans developed strong bonds with various characters on the show and tuned in every week in anticipation of a new episode.
In this video, we’re going to take a look at some unknown facts hidden behind this beloved show, including a bizarre career move by one of the cast members. Facts Verse Presents: The Love Boat Cast Member Who Became a Congressman (11 Facts)
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NUMBER ONE: The Love Book
This may come as a surprise to many, but The Love Boat was based on a book. Written by Jeraldine Saunders in 1974, the book quickly rose to popularity. Not only was the book a success, but Saunders wrote the story from her own real-life experience as a hostess and director on luxury cruise ships. In fact, the book was released as a memoir. The book detailed her experiences and kept readers entertained. The book had enough material to spark a television show. Jeraldine Saunders went on to publish other successful books including Legacy of Love, Frisco Lady and The Complete Guide to a Successful Cruise.
NUMBER TWO: Thousands at Sea
The series was filmed on a real cruise ship, with real passengers. Passengers would pay upwards of $3,000 to be extras on the show and sail with the cast and crew. Just to put this into perspective, when The Love Boat announced they were filming during a Hong Kong cruise, the ticket prices skyrocketed, starting at $3,370 and reaching $8,550. These prices were the going rate in 1983. You can only imagine how much tickets would cost today! In fact, extras received a raffle ticket following each day of filming. The cruises that would be featured on the show were guaranteed to sell out.
NUMBER THREE: A Priceless Scrap
Decades after filming wrapped up, the Pacific Princess was simply too old and costly to undergo a full renovation. Once the owners were unsuccessfully attempting to sell the iconic Pacific Princess, they decided to make a deal with a Turkish company, selling it for scrap instead. The deal was finalized in 2012 for a total of $3 million dollars. However, tragedy struck on August 10th, 2013, when two workers died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. A flood occurred in the area below the engines. Electrical pumps were operating at the time of the flood and resulted in the release of toxic exhaust gases. Nine workers were also injured by inhaling carbon monoxide.
NUMBER FOUR: Familiar Faces
The Love Boat aired for a total of 250 episodes. During those episodes, the series featured over 1,000 guest stars. The number of guest stars is shocking to many, but with a decade of entertainment, various actors, actresses, and celebrities have shared the spotlight. There were also dozens of regular cast members that appeared frequently, but only 3 members appeared in all 250 episodes. The 3 cast members were Gavin MacLeod (the captain), Bernie Kopell (the doctor), and Ted Lange (the bartender).
NUMBER FIVE: Couture Controversy
The Love Boat producers aired a popular two-part episode that featured some of the biggest names in couture design at the time. This included Geoffrey Beene, Bob Mackie, Halston, and Gloria Vanderbilt. However, controversy sparked when Ralph Lauren declined the offer, as he believed it would “hurt his reputation” and “damage his image.” Producer Douglass Cramer strongly disagreed with Lauren, citing the show wore Polo more than any other brand. He even dressed exclusively in polo. Even so, Lauren never appeared in the episode. Giorgio Armani and Calvin Klein were also among the no-show list. Armani cited conflicting schedules as the reason for his absence, while Klein refused to show up if Halston did.
NUMBER SIX: Thousands for an Appearance
The fashion designers that appeared on The Love Boat were paid $1,000 each for their roles- per day. However, some earned even more. Guest appearances cost between $1,000 and $25,000. In fact, Lana Turner appeared on the 200th episode for a grand total of $25,000. She appeared in two episodes in season 8. She portrayed Elizabeth Raleigh. The cast and crew noted Turner’s slight difficulty enduring the fast-paced nature of shooting the TV show. If she was unprepared for her lines, the cast would help her by filling in.
NUMBER SEVEN: Woof Woof $1,000
Popular celebrity dog of the ‘80s, Tundra the Wonder Dog was paid $1,000 for her appearance during an episode of the series. The episode was titled “The Dog Show.” Tundra earned $1,000 per day due to her popularity with viewers. Tundra the Wonder Dog also appeared in the famous film “Against All Odds.” The producers of The Love Boat hosted an audition for Tundra and just like that, the pooch was signed a day later. Tundra the Wonder Dog was of Samoyed breed and responded to over 200 voice commands and 70 hand gestures.
NUMBER EIGHT: Gopher Goes Political
Gopher was a beloved character on the series for 9 years. Played by Fred Grandy, he left the show to purse politics. In fact, Grandy was roommates with President Eisenhower’s grandson, David Eisenhower, during their time in boarding school. They attended Phillips Exeter Academy. In fact, the pair got along so well, Fred was David’s best man during his wedding to Julie Nixon. Following his time at boarding school, Grandy attended Harvard University, graduating in 1970. Grandy decided to pursue a seat in the US Congress, representing Iowa from 1987 to 1995. He served four consecutive terms, dealing in the workforce, public education, agriculture, standards of official conduct, and more. He was also involved in non-profit organizations.
NUMBER NINE: The Doctor’s Son
Dr. Adam Bricker, played by Bernie Kopell, was undoubtedly a fan favorite. He was known for being a ladies man. His character was extremely popular amongst viewers. So much so, Kopell named one of his children Adam. Many fans thought the name selection was a touching and appropriate tribute to his character on the show.
Interestingly enough, Kopell became a father for the first time at the age of 65. In 1997, he married Catrina Honadle, who is 20 years younger. Together, they have two sons, their first being Adam. Adam was born in 1998. Their second son, Joshua, was born in 2003.
NUMBER TEN: The Bartender with 5 Lives
Ted Lange played the popular character of Isaac the bartender. However, it was not just ‘Love Boat’ where this character appeared. Isaac the bartender also appeared on 4 other shows, making 5 total on-screen appearances. This included Charlie’s Angles, Martin, Love Boat: The Next Wave, Weird Science, and of course- The Love Boat. Some of Lange’s roles as Isaac the bartender were years after The Love Boat wrapped up filming. For example, he was featured in Martin in 1997 and Weird Science in 1996, approximately 10 years after filming the last episode.
NUMBER ELEVEN: Last Season Change
The theme song for The Love Boat quickly became a memorable and integral part of the decade-long series. The opening credits always showed the picture and name of various guest stars for the episode, along with the recurring cast members. Along with these visuals, were winsome graphics of hearts and anchors appearing on the screen at the beginning of every episode.
The production team decided to change the theme song for the last season. Jack Jones sang the original theme song for eight seasons but was soon replaced by Dionne Warwick. Prior to the switch, Jack Jones, a Vegas jazz and pop singer, sung words written by Paul Williams. The new theme song, created specifically for the last season, was the perfect touch to mark 10 years on television and make the final season one to remember.
Thank you guys for tuning into another episode of Facts Verse! We hope you learned about this iconic, offshore, love-struck series. The Love Boat was an important time in pop culture history and helped inspire shows in the ‘70s, ‘80s, 90’s and beyond. Make sure to give this video a ‘thumbs up’ if you enjoyed and subscribe to our channel for more. Let us know down in the comment box below which ‘Love Boat’ character is your favorite and what you thought about their 10 years on television. Thanks again and we’ll see you in the next one!
